2005 MERCEDES-BENZ C240 Steering wheel controls

165 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Downshifting
Press button1 on the left side of the
steering wheel.
The transmission shifts to the next
lower gear.
The gear range is limited when you are not
driving in the manual program modeM
(
page 159).
When driving in the manual program
modeM (
page 165), the transmission
will shift from the current gear to the next
lower gear (page 166).Upshifting

Press button2 on the right side of the
steering wheel.
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear.
The gear range is extended when you are
not driving in the manual program modeM
(
page 159).
When driving in the manual program
modeM (
page 165), the transmission
will shift from the current gear to the next
higher gear (page 167).
Manual shift program (C 55 AMG only)
In the manual program modeM you can
change the gears manually on the steering
wheel (
page 164) or by using the gear
selector lever (
page 158).
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.
!Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR only when the
vehicle is stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

166 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1Program mode selector switch
M Manual For manual gear shifting
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard drivingActivating manual shift program

Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the
M for the
manual program modeM appears in
the multifunction display.
The transmission switches to the
manual program modeM. Automatic
shifting is switched off. The gear range
is not limited.
You can change the gears manually when
the gear selector lever is in positionD. You
can upshift or downshift through the gears
in succession.
The current gear selector lever position
and the selected program mode (M/C/S) is
indicated in the multifunction display
(
page 157).Downshifting

Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction
(page 158).
or

Press button1 on the left side of the
steering wheel (
page 164).
The transmission shifts to the next
lower gear.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.iWhen you brake or stop, the transmis-
sion shifts down to a gear from which
you can easily accelerate or take off.

167 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Upshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction
(page 158).
or

Press button2 on the right side of the
steering wheel (
page 164).
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear.Kickdown
Using the kickdown when driving in the
manual program modeM is not possible.
Deactivating manual shift program

Press the program mode selector
switch (
page 166) repeatedly
until
Cor
S appears in the multifunction
display.
or

Restart the engine.
The transmission will go to the
automatic program mode (C orS).
The manual program modeM is not
stored.Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode)
If vehicle acceleration worsens or the
transmission no longer shifts, the trans-
mission is most likely operating in limp
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode only second gear and reverse gear
can be activated.
Stop the vehicle.

Move gear selector lever toP.

Turn off the engine.

Wait at least ten seconds before
restarting.

Restart the engine.

Move gear selector lever to positionD
(for second gear) orR.

Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
!In the manual program modeM, the
transmission will not upshift, even if
the engine has reached its overrevving
range. Shift up to the next gear before
the engine has reached its overrevving
range. Make absolutely certain that the
engine speed does not reach the red
marking on the tachometer
(page 24). Otherwise the engine
could be damaged which is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty
iThe last selected program
mode (CorS) is switched on when the
engine is restarted in the automatic
program mode.

208 Controls in detailAudio systemTrack and time display
Press
T soft key.
The number of the track being played
and the elapsed playing time appear in
the display.

Press
T soft key again.
The total number of tracks and the total
playing time of the CD appear in the
display.

Press
T soft key.
The standard CD playback menu
appears in the display.
GSM network phones
Using your Mercedes-Benz specified
mobile telephone*, a number of functions
and operating steps can be performed and
displayed in the audio system display.
Further operating instructions not covered
here can be found in the operating instruc-
tions for the multifunction steering wheel
and the cellular telephone*.
I f y o u r a u d i o s y s t e m i s s e t u p f o r t e l e p h o n e
operation, the tsymbol will appear in
the display.
When you insert your Mercedes-Benz
specified mobile telephone* into the
telephone cradle, you will be prompted to
enter your PIN for 30 seconds
(page 209). This display disappears
when you press any button.
When your mobile telephone is inserted
into the telephone cradle, you will see the
reception strength in the upper right-hand
corner of the display.Switching on the telephone
Switching on the telephone

Pressh button.
If the telephone was previously
switched off,
PROCESSING
appears in
the display and you will then be
prompted to enter your PIN.
Switching off the telephone

Pressh button for approx. three
seconds.PROCESSING
appears in the display until
the telephone is off. Afterward,
PHONE OFF
appears in the display.

214 Controls in detailAudio system

Press s button to accept a
second call.
You are connected with the second
caller; the first caller is kept on hold.


Switching between calls
Press 2 and s buttons.
This switches between the calls.
The non-active call is kept on hold.


Terminating a call
Press t button.
The current call is terminated. You
are again connected with the caller
previously placed on hold.


Combining two calls
Press 3 and s buttons.
The calls are combined into one
call.


Terminating a combined call
Press t button.
The connection to both callers is
terminated.
TDMA or CDMA network phones
Using your Mercedes-Benz specified
mobile telephone*, a number of functions
and operating steps can be performed and
displayed in the audio system display.
Further operating instructions not covered
here can be found in the operating instruc-
tions for the multifunction steering wheel
and the mobile telephone*.
If your audio system is set up for telephone
operation, the t symbol will appear in
the display.
When you insert your Mercedes-Benz
specified mobile telephone* into the
telephone cradle, you will be prompted to
enter your PIN for 30 seconds
(page 215). This display disappears
when you press any button.
When your mobile telephone is inserted
into the telephone cradle, you will see the
reception strength in the upper right-hand
corner of the display.
iYou will be notified of the second call
acoustically, but you will not see this in
the display.


231 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The driving system of your vehicle is
described on the following pages:

Cruise control, with which the vehicle
can maintain a preset speed
For information on the BAS, ABS and ESP
driving systems, see “Driving safety sys-
tems” (
page 77).
Cruise control
Cruise control automatically maintains the
speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set or resume
cruise control at any speed over 20 mph
(30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever on the left-hand side of the steering
column (
page 22).
Warning!
G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. The driver is and must remain at all
times responsible for the vehicle speed and
for safe brake operation.
Only use cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.


Deactivate cruise control when driving
in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

248 Controls in detailUseful features
You can take and place telephone calls
using thes andt buttons on the
steering wheel. To carry out other tele-
phone functions, use the control system
(page 150).
See separate operating manual for instruc-
tions on how to use the telephone.
Tele Aid*
Warning!
G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle. A driver’s
attention to the road must always be
his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call.
If you choose to use the telephone
1 while
driving, please use the hands-free device
and only use the telephone when road,
weather and traffic conditions permit. Some
jurisdictions prohibit the driver from using a
cellular telephone while driving a vehicle.
Only operate the COMAND* (Cockpit Man-
agement and Data System)
1 if road, weather
and traffic conditions permit.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 14 m) every second.
1Observe all legal requirements.
Warning!
G
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a
vehicle. Whether or not prohibited by law,
for safety reasons, the driver should not use
the cellular telephone while the vehicle is in
motion.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location before
answering or placing a call.
!The initial activation of the Tele Aid
system may only be performed by
completing the subscriber agreement
and placing an acquaintance call using
the¡ button. Failure to complete
either of these steps will result in a
system that is not activated.
If you have any questions regarding
activation, please call the Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).

249 Controls in detail
Useful features
The Tele Aid system
(Tele
matic A
larm I
dentification on
D
emand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response:

automatic and manual emergency


roadside assistance and


information
The Tele Aid system is operational provid-
ing that the vehicle’s battery is charged,
properly connected, not damaged and
cellular and GPS coverage is available.
The speaker volume of a Tele Aid call can
be adjusted when using the volume control
on the multifunction steering wheel. To
raise, press buttonæ and to lower,
press buttonç. The volume can also be
adjusted using the volume knob on your
audio system or COMAND* head unit.

To activate, press the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• or
the Information button¡, depend-
ing on the type of response required.
Shortly after the completion of your Tele
Aid acquaintance call, you will receive a
user ID and password. By visiting
www.mbusa.com and selecting “Tele Aid”
(USA only), you will have access to account
information, remote door unlock and
more.System self-check
Initially, after switching on ignition, mal-
functions are detected and indicated (the
indicator lamps in the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• and the
Information button¡ stay on longer
than ten seconds or do not come on). The
message
Tele Aid malfunction. Drive
to workshop
appears in the multifunction
display.
iThe SOS button is located above the
interior rear view mirror.
The Roadside Assistance button•
and the Information button¡ are
located below the center armrest
cover.
iThe Tele Aid system utilizes the cellular
network for communication and the
GPS (Global Positioning System) satel-
lites for vehicle location. If either of
these signals are unavailable, the
Tele Aid system may not function and if
this occurs, assistance must be sum-
moned by other means.